Atletico Madrid vs Real Betis

Out-of-sorts Atletico Madrid and Real Betis are set to square off in a high-stakes La Liga encounter at the Metropolitano Stadium.

Atletico Madrid could drop out of La Liga’s top three after a dismal 2-0 midweek loss at Osasuna cut their lead over fourth-placed Athletic Club to three points. With two games to go, Diego Simeone’s charges must not allow more slip-ups, but after blowing hot and cold across their last three league outings (W1, D1, L1), that could be easier said than done. Much of Atletico’s domestic problems came from their underwhelming away form, which included a narrow 1-0 defeat to Real Betis in October’s reverse fixture. However, they’ve gone from strength to strength on home turf, with only newly-crowned champions Barcelona taking three points at the Metropolitano Stadium this season (W13, D4). Furthermore, Atletico’s last home defeat to the Andalusian outfit dates back to December 2011 (W11, D1).

Therefore, visiting Betis can hardly approach this game with optimism, especially after their hopes of securing Champions League qualification took a knockout punch in midweek La Liga action. Despite hauling back a two-goal halftime deficit to hold Rayo Vallecano to a 2-2 away draw, a second successive league stalemate left them five points beneath fifth-placed Villarreal. If it’s any consolation, Manuel Pellegrini’s charges haven’t lost any of their last eight matches in all competitions (W4, D4), setting themselves up nicely for this trip. Adding to Los Verdiblancos’ confidence, they’ve not lost a road fixture in any competition since February (W6, D4).